Top

Published in:

01-04-2010 | Review

Traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a general review

Authors: Peng Zhang, Jun Li, Yong Han, Xiao Wei Yu, Ling Qin

Published in: Rheumatology International | Issue 6/2010

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is difficult to cure. Many methods have been used for its treatment, among which traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been considered as an important strategy. All of the three parts of TCM: Chinese herbs, acupuncture, and massage have been reported with varying degrees of therapeutic effects on RA. Also the mechanism exploration is under process. Many effective ingredients of anti-rheumatic Chinese herbs have been found to inhibit RA development and some of the effective ingredients have been verified. Furthermore, greatly enhanced life quality of RA patients was obtained using acupuncture and massage to relieve pain, expand joint motion and modulate emotion which mainly correlated with the possible modulation of immune system, nerve system, endocrine system, etc. Thus, a systemic review on the therapeutic effect of TCM on RA is necessary. In our paper, the current status of TCM application in the clinic for the therapy of RA was summarized accompanied with the related mechanism exploration using modern test facilities.

Caporali R, Caprioli M, Bobbio-Pallavicini F et al (2008) DMARDS and infections in rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmun Rev 8(2):139–143CrossRefPubMed

Lacaille D, Guh DP, Abrahamowicz M et al (2008) Use of nonbiologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and risk of infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 59(8):1074–1081CrossRefPubMed

He W, Zhang J, Gu SZ (2006) Clinical observation on needle-sticking method for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis of wind–cold–damp retention type. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu 26(5):331–334PubMed

Aikman H (1997) The association between arthritis and the weather. Int J Biometeorol 40(4):192–199CrossRefPubMed

Tao X, Lipsky PE (2000) The Chinese anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive herbal remedy Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 26(1):29–50 viiiCrossRefPubMed

Ahmed S, Anuntiyo J, Malemud CJ et al (2005) Biological basis for the use of botanicals in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: a review. Evid Based Complement Altern Med 2(3):301–308CrossRef

Vojdani A, Erde J (2006) Regulatory T cells, a potent immunoregulatory target for CAM researchers: modulating tumor immunity, autoimmunity and alloreactive immunity (III). Evid Based Complement Altern Med 3(3):309–316CrossRef

Kusunoki N, Yamazaki R, Kitasato H et al (2004) Triptolide, an active compound identified in a traditional Chinese herb, induces apoptosis of rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts. BMC Pharmacol 4:2CrossRefPubMed

Sylvester J, Liacini A, Li WQ et al (2001) Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F extract suppresses proinflammatory cytokine-induced expression of matrix metalloproteinase genes in articular chondrocytes by inhibiting activating protein-1 and nuclear factor-kappaB activities. Mol Pharmacol 59(5):1196–1205PubMed

10.

Liacini A, Sylvester J, Zafarullah M (2005) Triptolide suppresses proinflammatory cytokine-induced matrix metalloproteinase and aggrecanase-1 gene expression in chondrocytes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 327(1):320–327CrossRefPubMed

11.

Wang B, Ma L, Tao X et al (2004) Triptolide, an active component of the Chinese herbal remedy Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, inhibits production of nitric oxide by decreasing inducible nitric oxide synthase gene transcription. Arthritis Rheum 50(9):2303–2995CrossRef

12.

Skok M, Grailhe R, Changeux JP (2005) Nicotinic receptors regulate B lymphocyte activation and immune response. Eur J Pharmacol 517(3):246–251CrossRefPubMed

13.

Pyatt DW, Yang Y, Mehos B et al (2000) Hematotoxicity of the Chinese herbal medicine Tripterygium wilfordii hook f in CD34-positive human bone marrow cells. Mol Pharmacol 57(3):512–518PubMed

14.

Kobayashi K, Nakashima A, Nagata H et al (2001) Anti-arthritic effects of KF20444, a new immunosuppressive compound inhibiting dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, on rat collagen-induced arthritis. Inflamm Res 50(1):24–31CrossRefPubMed

15.

Wang R, Jiang C, Lei Z et al (2007) The role of different therapeutic courses in treating 47 cases of rheumatoid arthritis with acupuncture. J Tradit Chin Med 27(2):103–105PubMed

16.

Sato M, Inubushi M, Shiga T et al (2009) Therapeutic effects of acupuncture in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective study using (18)F-FDG-PET. Ann Nucl Med 23(3):311–316CrossRefPubMed

17.

Zanette SD, Born IG, Brenol JC et al (2007) A pilot study of acupuncture as adjunctive treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Rheumatol 27(5):627–635CrossRef

18.

David J, Townsend S, Sathanathan R et al (1999) The effect of acupuncture on patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over study. Rheumatology (Oxford) 38(9):864–869CrossRef

19.

Casimiro L, Barnsley L, Brosseau L et al (2005) Acupuncture and electroacupuncture for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (4):CD003788

20.

Lee JD, Park HJ, Chae Y et al (2005) An overview of bee venom acupuncture in the treatment of arthritis. Evid Based Complement Altern Med 2(1):79–84CrossRef

21.

Wang KM, Yao SM, Xian YL et al (1985) A study on the receptive field of acupoints and the relationship between characteristics of needling sensation and groups of afferent fibres. Sci Sin [B] 28(9):963–971

22.

Han JS (2004) Acupuncture and endorphins. Neurosci Lett 361(1–3):258–261CrossRefPubMed

23.

Mayer DJ, Price DD, Rafii A (1977) Antagonism of acupuncture analgesia in man by the narcotic antagonist naloxone. Brain Res 121(2):368–372CrossRefPubMed

24.

Evans S, Tsao JC, Zeltzer LK (2008) Complementary and alternative medicine for acute procedural pain in children. Altern Ther Health Med 14(5):52–56PubMed

25.

Zijlstra FJ, van den Berg-de Lange I, Huygen FJ et al (2003) Anti-inflammatory actions of acupuncture. Mediat Inflamm 12(2):59–69CrossRef

26.

Takeshige C, Sato T, Mera T et al (1992) Descending pain inhibitory system involved in acupuncture analgesia. Brain Res Bull 29(5):617–634CrossRefPubMed

27.

Xiao J, Liu X, Sun L et al (1992) Experimental study on the influence of acupuncture and moxibustion on interleukin-2 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu 17(2):126–128 132PubMed

28.

Liu X, Sun L, Xiao J et al (1993) Effect of acupuncture and point-injection treatment on immunologic function in rheumatoid arthritis. J Tradit Chin Med 13(3):174–178PubMed

29.

Bonta IL (2002) Acupuncture beyond the endorphin concept? Med Hypotheses 58(3):221–224CrossRefPubMed

30.

Ulett GA, Han J, Han S (1998) Traditional and evidence-based acupuncture: history, mechanisms, and present status. South Med J 91(12):1115–1120PubMed

31.

Sakai S, Hori E, Umeno K et al (2007) Specific acupuncture sensation correlates with EEGs and autonomic changes in human subjects. Auton Neurosci 133(2):158–169CrossRefPubMed

32.

Oke SL, Tracey KJ (2007) The inflammatory reflex and the role of complementary and alternative medical therapies. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1172:172–180CrossRef

33.

Borovikova LV, Ivanova S, Zhang M et al (2000) Vagus nerve stimulation attenuates the systemic inflammatory response to endotoxin. Nature 405(6785):458–462CrossRefPubMed

34.

Tracey KJ (2002) The inflammatory reflex. Nature 420(6917):853–859CrossRefPubMed

35.

Wang H, Yu M, Ochani M et al (2003) Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha7 subunit is an essential regulator of inflammation. Nature 421(6921):384–388CrossRefPubMed

36.

Zebracki K, Holzman K, Bitter KJ et al (2007) Brief report: use of complementary and alternative medicine and psychological functioning in Latino children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis or arthralgia. J Pediatr Psychol 32(8):1006–1010CrossRefPubMed

37.

Jain S, Kumar P, McMillan DD (2006) Prior leg massage decreases pain responses to heel stick in preterm babies. J Paediatr Child Health 42(9):505–508CrossRefPubMed

38.

Walach H, Guthlin C, Konig M (2003) Efficacy of massage therapy in chronic pain: a pragmatic randomized trial. J Altern Complement Med 9(6):837–846CrossRefPubMed

39.

Ernst E (2004) Musculoskeletal conditions and complementary/alternative medicine. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 18(4):539–556CrossRefPubMed

40.

Cameron M (2002) Is manual therapy a rational approach to improving health-related quality of life in people with arthritis? Australas Chiropr Osteopathy 10(1):9–15PubMed

Title: Traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a general review
Authors: Peng Zhang
Jun Li
Yong Han
Xiao Wei Yu
Ling Qin
Publication date: 01-04-2010
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: Rheumatology International / Issue 6/2010
Print ISSN: 0172-8172
Electronic ISSN: 1437-160X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-010-1370-0

ACC 2024 Congress Coverage

Heart Failure Video

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a general review

Abstract

ACC 2024 Congress Coverage

Year in Review: Heart failure and cardiomyopathies

Semaglutide benefits people with type 2 diabetes and obesity-related heart failure

Incentivised to exercise

New intervention for STEMI-related cardiogenic shock

» View more highlights on the ACC 2024 congress hub page

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 6/2010

Cognitive and behaviour assessment following Kawasaki disease—a study from North India

Elevation of serum IgG subclass concentration in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis associated with dermatomyositis with nephrotic syndrome

Spontaneous displacement of olecranon fracture through geode salvaged by elbow replacement

Treatment of relapsing polychondritis in the era of biological agents

Responsiveness to intravenous immunoglobulins and occurrence of coronary artery abnormalities in a single-center cohort of Italian patients with Kawasaki syndrome

ACC 2024 Congress Coverage

Year in Review: Heart failure and cardiomyopathies

Semaglutide benefits people with type 2 diabetes and obesity-related heart failure

Incentivised to exercise

New intervention for STEMI-related cardiogenic shock

» View more highlights on the ACC 2024 congress hub page